Gardens of the Roman World, by Patrick Bowe (Frances Lincoln, £24.50)
From the wealth of preserved frescoes and mosaics, we see that gardens in the Roman world were full of birds ? swallows, doves, wood pigeons, magpies, jays, thrushes, nightingales, warblers; also peacocks, herons, Egyptian ibis, partridges and orioles. While these are usually depicted as ranging freely about the gardens, aviaries were also popular.
The epicure Lucullus even set out a dining area within his aviary so that 'his guests could have the curious enjoyment of eating cooked fowl while being surrounded by their still-alive 'cousins''. Patrick Bowe's lavishly illustrated new book draws together a range of captivating images and text sources to give us as thorough an overview as possible into Roman horticultural and landscaping endeavours which have had a lasting influence in the succeeding 2,000 years.
Then there were the plants: the crucial evergreens ? cypress and plane trees, myrtle, bay, laurustinus, strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo), box and ivy ? plus vines, pomegranates, roses, lilies, chamomile and pinks. Excavation of Pompeii and Herculaneum provided scores of examples of town gardening Roman-style, with the emphasis on symmetry; peristyle enclosures, pools and marble fountains, so essential for providing a cooling atmosphere in the heat of a Mediterranean summer. This lovely book explores the rich variety of gardens made throughout the extent of Rome's empire.
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A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National ParkOld House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
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Who wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall? Country Life Quiz of the DayThere's angora, aluminium and the biggest English star of the silent movie era in Monday's Quiz of the Day.
